Housing director reports clean audit; voucher wait list to open July 18, council approves $5,584 write-off

The Executive Director of North Coast Housing Connections reported a clean independent audit for year‑end 2024 and told the public housing committee that funding for 2025 was awarded at 100 percent.

The director announced that the Housing Choice Voucher wait list will be open one day only, Friday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to replenish the agency’s roll after the list declined to about 300 names from an original pool of roughly 5,000. "We will pull 5,000 people. It'll be a random lottery. We don't touch it," the Executive Director said, noting an independent firm will run the lottery and the results will be uploaded to the agency’s computer system of record.

Council members asked how the public will learn about the opening. The director said the agency will begin advertising 30 days out, will work with local public libraries, post on the agency website, and contract with local radio (including WZAK/Urban One) and targeted social media and email outreach to Hispanic and African American audiences. Flyers are in production and will be shared electronically with council when ready.

Council then took up Housing Resolution 25‑4, a measure authorizing the executive director to write off $5,584 in uncashed checks and declaring an emergency. After a motion and second, the resolution passed on voice vote. During discussion councilmembers also asked the director to monitor proposed federal changes to HUD funding; the director said she had seen draft proposals to move some HUD funding to states but did not expect the change to pass and pledged to notify council if developments required local action.

The council did not take additional action on voucher policy at this meeting.

What comes next: the agency will advertise the July 18 wait‑list opening and deliver an electronic flyer to council. The director said she will forward any federal notices about HUD funding to councilmembers.